Description

Book Synopsis
Brings a powerful toolkit to bear on engineering and scientific endeavors. This book describes the fundamental principles of systems science so engineers and other scholars can put them into practical use at work and in their personal lives. Systems science aims to determine systemic similarities among different disciplines and to develop applicable solutions in many fields of inquiry. Systems Science for Engineers and Scholars readers will discover: Ten systems science principles that open engineers' and scholars' horizons to practical insights related to their areas of interest A methodology for designing holistic systems that exhibit resilient behavior to overcome systems' context uncertainties The most critical current dilemma of humankindthe global environment and energy crises, as well as a systemic, no-nonsense action plan to deal with these issues Independent articles describing how engineers and scholars can utilize systems science creatively in (1) engineering and systemic

Table of Contents

PREFACE 10

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 12

PART 1 - FACETS OF SYSTEMS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 14

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO SYSTEMS SCIENCE 15

1.1 FOREWORD 15

1.2 CRITICAL HUMANITY CHALLENGE 19

1.3 SYSTEMS SCIENCE IN BRIEF 21

1.4 EARLY SYSTEMS PIONEERS 28

1.5 RECOMMENDED BOOKS ON SYSTEMS SCIENCE 30

1.6 CRITICISM OF SYSTEMS SCIENCE 31

1.7 BIBLIOGRAPHY 34

CHAPTER 2: PRINCIPLES OF SYSTEMS SCIENCE (PART I) 36

2.1 INTRODUCTION 36

2.2 UNIVERSAL CONTEXT 36

2.3 SYSTEMS BOUNDARY 41

2.4 SYSTEMS HIERARCHY 45

2.5 SYSTEMS INTERACTIONS 49

2.6 SYSTEMS CHANGE 54

2.7 BIBLIOGRAPHY 63

CHAPTER 3: PRINCIPLES OF SYSTEMS SCIENCE (PART II) 65

3.1 INTRODUCTION 65

3.2 SYSTEMS INPUT/OUTPUT 65

3.3 SYSTEMS COMPLEXITY 70

3.4 SYSTEMS CONTROL 83

3.5 SYSTEMS EVOLUTION 86

3.6 SYSTEMS EMERGENCE 95

3.7 BIBLIOGRAPHY 99

CHAPTER 4: SYSTEMS THINKING 101

4.1 INTRODUCTION 101

4.2 HISTORY OF SYSTEMS THINKING 101

4.3 FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS OF SYSTEMS THINKING 102

4.4 THE ICEBERG MODEL OF SYSTEMS THINKING 104

4.5 EXPLORING SYSTEMS THINKING AS A SYSTEM 105

4.6 BARRIERS TO SYSTEMS THINKING 107

4.7 BIBLIOGRAPHY 109

CHAPTER 5: SYSTEMS ENGINEERING 110

5.1 INTRODUCTION 110

5.2 PHILOSOPHY OF ENGINEERING 110

5.3 BASIC SYSTEMS ENGINEERING CONCEPTS 119

5.4 SYSTEMS ENGINEERING DEFICIENCIES 124

5.5 BIBLIOGRAPHY 135

CHAPTER 6: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS – TWO DOMAINS 136

6.1 INTRODUCTION 136

6.2 A CASE FOR COMPARISON 136

6.3 STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF A COMPUTER HARD DRIVE (CHD) 137

6.4 FUNCTIONAL CORRELATIONS BETWEEN CHD AND THE DHD 139

6.5 CONCLUSIONS 144

6.6 ACKNOWLEDGMENT 145

6.7 BIBLIOGRAPHY 145

PART 2 - HOLISTIC SYSTEMS DESIGN 146

CHAPTER 7: HOLISTIC SYSTEMS CONTEXT 147

7.1 INTRODUCTION 147

7.2 RETHINKING THE CONTEXT OF THE SYSTEM 147

7.3 COMPONENTS OF SYSTEMS' CONTEXT 148

7.4 BIBLIOGRAPHY 152

CHAPTER 8: EXAMPLE - UAV SYSTEM OF INTEREST (SOI) 154

8.1 INTRODUCTION 154

8.2 EXAMPLE - UAV SYSTEM 154

8.3 BIBLIOGRAPHY 163

CHAPTER 9: EXAMPLE - UAV CONTEXT (PART I) 164

9.1 INTRODUCTION 164

9.2 UAV CONTEXT - NATURAL SYSTEMS 164

9.3 UAV CONTEXT - SOCIAL SYSTEMS 167

9.4 UAV CONTEXT - RESEARCHAPTER SYSTEMS 168

9.5 UAV CONTEXT - FORMATION SYSTEMS 173

9.6 UAV CONTEXT - SUSTAINMENT SYSTEMS 176

9.7 UAV CONTEXT - BUSINESS SYSTEMS 178

9.8 UAV CONTEXT - COMMERCIAL SYSTEMS 180

9.9 BIBLIOGRAPHY 186

CHAPTER 10: EXAMPLE - UAV CONTEXT (PART II) 188

10.1 INTRODUCTION 188

10.2 UAV CONTEXT - FINANCIAL SYSTEMS 188

10.3 UAV CONTEXT - POLITICAL SYSTEMS 191

10.4 UAV CONTEXT - LEGAL SYSTEMS 194

10.5 UAV CONTEXT - CULTURAL SYSTEMS 196

10.6 UAV CONTEXT - BIOSPHERE SYSTEMS 202

10.7 BIBLIOGRAPHY 203

PART 3 - GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY - CRISIS AND ACTION PLAN 205

CHAPTER 11: GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT CRISES 206

11.1 INTRODUCTION 206

11.2 CLIMATE CHANGE 208

11.3 BIODIVERSITY LOSS 216

11.4 BIBLIOGRAPHY 227

CHAPTER 12: SYSTEMIC ENVIRONMENT ACTION PLAN 229

12.1 INTRODUCTION 229

12.2 SUSTAINING THE EARTH'S ENVIRONMENT 229

12.3 SUSTAINING HUMAN SOCIETY 238

12.4 BIBLIOGRAPHY 247

CHAPTER 13: GLOBAL ENERGY CRISIS 248

13.1 INTRODUCTION 248

13.2 CURRENT GLOBAL ENERGY STATUS 248

13.3 ENERGY RETURN ON INVESTMENT (EROI) 250

13.4 RENEWABLE ENERGY 253

13.5 FOSSIL FUELS ENERGY 258

13.6 CONVENTIONAL FISSION REACTION ENERGY 259

13.7 BIBLIOGRAPHY 261

CHAPTER 14: SYSTEMIC ENERGY ACTION PLAN 262

14.1 THE GLOBAL ENERGY DILEMMA 262

14.2 RENEWABLE ENERGY – ACTION PLAN 262

14.3 FOSSIL FUELS ENERGY – ACTION PLAN 263

14.4 CARS AND TRUCKS ACTION PLAN 264

14.5 FISSION REACTION ENERGY – ACTION PLAN 264

14.6 SMALL MODULAR REACTORS (SMRS) ACTION PLAN 265

14.7 FUSION NUCLEAR ENERGY ACTION PLAN 269

14.8 BIBLIOGRAPHY 273

PART 4 - MORE SYSTEMS SCIENCE FOR ENGINEERS AND SCHOLARS 274

CHAPTER 15: ENGINEERING AND SYSTEMIC PSYCHOLOGY 275

15.1 INTRODUCTION 275

15.2 SCHEMA THEORY 275

15.3 COGNITIVE BIASES 276

15.4 SYSTEMS FAILURES 279

15.5 COGNITIVE DEBIASING 285

15.6 BIBLIOGRAPHY 288

CHAPTER 16: DELIVERING VALUE AND RESOLVING CONFLICTS 289

16.1 INTRODUCTION 289

16.2 DELIVERING SYSTEMS VALUE 289

16.3 CONFLICT ANALYSIS AND RESOLUTION 294

16.4 BIBLIOGRAPHY 299

CHAPTER 17: MULTI-OBJECTIVE MULTI-AGENT DECISION MAKING 300

17.1 INTRODUCTION 300

17.2 UTILITY-BASED REWARDS 300

17.3 REPRESENTATION OF THE DECISION PROCESS 301

17.4 KEY TYPES OF DECISION PROCESSES 302

17.5 EXAMPLE-1 - WOLVES AND SHEEP PREDATION 305

17.6 EXAMPLE-2 - COOPERATIVE TARGET OBSERVATION 308

17.7 EXAMPLE-3 - SEAPORT LOGISTICS 310

17.8 BIBLIOGRAPHY 313

CHAPTER 18: SYSTEMS ENGINEERING USING CATEGORY THEORY 315

18.1 INTRODUCTION 315

18.2 THE PROBLEM OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY, COLLABORATIVE DESIGN 315

18.3 BRIEF BACKGROUND ON CATEGORY THEORY AND SYSTEMS ENGINEERING 316

18.4 EXAMPLE - DESIGNING AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE 317

18.5 CATEGORY THEORY (CT) AS A SYSTEM SPECIFICATION LANGUAGE 322

18.6 CATEGORICAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATIVE DESIGN (C-MCD) 329

18.7 THE C-MCD CATEGORIES 331

18.8 THE CATEGORICAL DESIGN PROCESS 339

18.9 CONCLUSION 340

18.10 ACKNOWLEDGMENT 340

18.11 BIBLIOGRAPHY 340

CHAPTER 19: HOLISTIC RISK MANAGEMENT USING SOSF METHODOLOGY 342

19.1 INTRODUCTION 342

19.2 LIMITATIONS OF CURRENT RISK MANAGEMENT PRACTICES 342

19.3 FEATURES OF SYSTEMS OF SYSTEMS FAILURES (SOSF) 343

19.4 EXAMPLE-1 - HOLISTIC RISK MANAGEMENT AND FAILURE CLASSES 347

19.5 EXAMPLE-2 – SYNTHETIC SOSF RISK MANAGEMENT 354

19.6 CONCLUSION 358

19.7 ACKNOWLEDGMENT 358

19.8 BIBLIOGRAPHY 358

CHAPTER 20: SYSTEMIC ACCIDENTS AND MISHAPS ANALYSES 360

20.1 INTRODUCTION TO ACCIDENT CAUSATION MODELS 360

20.2 BASIC ACCIDENTS AND MISHAPS CONCEPTS 360

20.3 CLASSIFICATION OF INCIDENT CAUSATION MODELS 361

20.4 SYSTEMS THEORETIC ACCIDENT MODEL AND PROCESS (STAMP) 362

20.5 CAUSAL ANALYSIS SYSTEM THEORY (CAST) 365

20.6 CAST PROCEDURE 366

20.7 CAST EXAMPLE - CH-53 HELICOPTERS MID-AIR COLLISION 367

20.8 BIBLIOGRAPHY 374

APPENDIX-A: DISTINGUISHED SYSTEMS SCIENCE RESEARCHERS 376

APPENDIX-B: DISTINGUISHED SYSTEMS THINKING RESEARCHERS 378

APPENDIX-C: PERMISSIONS TO USE THIRD-PARTY COPYRIGHT MATERIAL 380

APPENDIX-D: LIST OF ACRONYMS 392

INDEX 398

Systems Science for Engineers and Scholars

    Product form

    £96.30

    Includes FREE delivery

    RRP £107.00 – you save £10.70 (10%)

    Order before 4pm tomorrow for delivery by Wed 1 Jul 2026.

    A Hardback by Avner Engel

      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

      View other formats and editions of Systems Science for Engineers and Scholars by Avner Engel

      Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc
      Publication Date: 09/02/2024
      ISBN13: 9781394211647, 978-1394211647
      ISBN10: 1394211643

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      Brings a powerful toolkit to bear on engineering and scientific endeavors. This book describes the fundamental principles of systems science so engineers and other scholars can put them into practical use at work and in their personal lives. Systems science aims to determine systemic similarities among different disciplines and to develop applicable solutions in many fields of inquiry. Systems Science for Engineers and Scholars readers will discover: Ten systems science principles that open engineers' and scholars' horizons to practical insights related to their areas of interest A methodology for designing holistic systems that exhibit resilient behavior to overcome systems' context uncertainties The most critical current dilemma of humankindthe global environment and energy crises, as well as a systemic, no-nonsense action plan to deal with these issues Independent articles describing how engineers and scholars can utilize systems science creatively in (1) engineering and systemic

      Table of Contents

      PREFACE 10

      ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 12

      PART 1 - FACETS OF SYSTEMS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 14

      CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO SYSTEMS SCIENCE 15

      1.1 FOREWORD 15

      1.2 CRITICAL HUMANITY CHALLENGE 19

      1.3 SYSTEMS SCIENCE IN BRIEF 21

      1.4 EARLY SYSTEMS PIONEERS 28

      1.5 RECOMMENDED BOOKS ON SYSTEMS SCIENCE 30

      1.6 CRITICISM OF SYSTEMS SCIENCE 31

      1.7 BIBLIOGRAPHY 34

      CHAPTER 2: PRINCIPLES OF SYSTEMS SCIENCE (PART I) 36

      2.1 INTRODUCTION 36

      2.2 UNIVERSAL CONTEXT 36

      2.3 SYSTEMS BOUNDARY 41

      2.4 SYSTEMS HIERARCHY 45

      2.5 SYSTEMS INTERACTIONS 49

      2.6 SYSTEMS CHANGE 54

      2.7 BIBLIOGRAPHY 63

      CHAPTER 3: PRINCIPLES OF SYSTEMS SCIENCE (PART II) 65

      3.1 INTRODUCTION 65

      3.2 SYSTEMS INPUT/OUTPUT 65

      3.3 SYSTEMS COMPLEXITY 70

      3.4 SYSTEMS CONTROL 83

      3.5 SYSTEMS EVOLUTION 86

      3.6 SYSTEMS EMERGENCE 95

      3.7 BIBLIOGRAPHY 99

      CHAPTER 4: SYSTEMS THINKING 101

      4.1 INTRODUCTION 101

      4.2 HISTORY OF SYSTEMS THINKING 101

      4.3 FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS OF SYSTEMS THINKING 102

      4.4 THE ICEBERG MODEL OF SYSTEMS THINKING 104

      4.5 EXPLORING SYSTEMS THINKING AS A SYSTEM 105

      4.6 BARRIERS TO SYSTEMS THINKING 107

      4.7 BIBLIOGRAPHY 109

      CHAPTER 5: SYSTEMS ENGINEERING 110

      5.1 INTRODUCTION 110

      5.2 PHILOSOPHY OF ENGINEERING 110

      5.3 BASIC SYSTEMS ENGINEERING CONCEPTS 119

      5.4 SYSTEMS ENGINEERING DEFICIENCIES 124

      5.5 BIBLIOGRAPHY 135

      CHAPTER 6: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS – TWO DOMAINS 136

      6.1 INTRODUCTION 136

      6.2 A CASE FOR COMPARISON 136

      6.3 STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF A COMPUTER HARD DRIVE (CHD) 137

      6.4 FUNCTIONAL CORRELATIONS BETWEEN CHD AND THE DHD 139

      6.5 CONCLUSIONS 144

      6.6 ACKNOWLEDGMENT 145

      6.7 BIBLIOGRAPHY 145

      PART 2 - HOLISTIC SYSTEMS DESIGN 146

      CHAPTER 7: HOLISTIC SYSTEMS CONTEXT 147

      7.1 INTRODUCTION 147

      7.2 RETHINKING THE CONTEXT OF THE SYSTEM 147

      7.3 COMPONENTS OF SYSTEMS' CONTEXT 148

      7.4 BIBLIOGRAPHY 152

      CHAPTER 8: EXAMPLE - UAV SYSTEM OF INTEREST (SOI) 154

      8.1 INTRODUCTION 154

      8.2 EXAMPLE - UAV SYSTEM 154

      8.3 BIBLIOGRAPHY 163

      CHAPTER 9: EXAMPLE - UAV CONTEXT (PART I) 164

      9.1 INTRODUCTION 164

      9.2 UAV CONTEXT - NATURAL SYSTEMS 164

      9.3 UAV CONTEXT - SOCIAL SYSTEMS 167

      9.4 UAV CONTEXT - RESEARCHAPTER SYSTEMS 168

      9.5 UAV CONTEXT - FORMATION SYSTEMS 173

      9.6 UAV CONTEXT - SUSTAINMENT SYSTEMS 176

      9.7 UAV CONTEXT - BUSINESS SYSTEMS 178

      9.8 UAV CONTEXT - COMMERCIAL SYSTEMS 180

      9.9 BIBLIOGRAPHY 186

      CHAPTER 10: EXAMPLE - UAV CONTEXT (PART II) 188

      10.1 INTRODUCTION 188

      10.2 UAV CONTEXT - FINANCIAL SYSTEMS 188

      10.3 UAV CONTEXT - POLITICAL SYSTEMS 191

      10.4 UAV CONTEXT - LEGAL SYSTEMS 194

      10.5 UAV CONTEXT - CULTURAL SYSTEMS 196

      10.6 UAV CONTEXT - BIOSPHERE SYSTEMS 202

      10.7 BIBLIOGRAPHY 203

      PART 3 - GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY - CRISIS AND ACTION PLAN 205

      CHAPTER 11: GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT CRISES 206

      11.1 INTRODUCTION 206

      11.2 CLIMATE CHANGE 208

      11.3 BIODIVERSITY LOSS 216

      11.4 BIBLIOGRAPHY 227

      CHAPTER 12: SYSTEMIC ENVIRONMENT ACTION PLAN 229

      12.1 INTRODUCTION 229

      12.2 SUSTAINING THE EARTH'S ENVIRONMENT 229

      12.3 SUSTAINING HUMAN SOCIETY 238

      12.4 BIBLIOGRAPHY 247

      CHAPTER 13: GLOBAL ENERGY CRISIS 248

      13.1 INTRODUCTION 248

      13.2 CURRENT GLOBAL ENERGY STATUS 248

      13.3 ENERGY RETURN ON INVESTMENT (EROI) 250

      13.4 RENEWABLE ENERGY 253

      13.5 FOSSIL FUELS ENERGY 258

      13.6 CONVENTIONAL FISSION REACTION ENERGY 259

      13.7 BIBLIOGRAPHY 261

      CHAPTER 14: SYSTEMIC ENERGY ACTION PLAN 262

      14.1 THE GLOBAL ENERGY DILEMMA 262

      14.2 RENEWABLE ENERGY – ACTION PLAN 262

      14.3 FOSSIL FUELS ENERGY – ACTION PLAN 263

      14.4 CARS AND TRUCKS ACTION PLAN 264

      14.5 FISSION REACTION ENERGY – ACTION PLAN 264

      14.6 SMALL MODULAR REACTORS (SMRS) ACTION PLAN 265

      14.7 FUSION NUCLEAR ENERGY ACTION PLAN 269

      14.8 BIBLIOGRAPHY 273

      PART 4 - MORE SYSTEMS SCIENCE FOR ENGINEERS AND SCHOLARS 274

      CHAPTER 15: ENGINEERING AND SYSTEMIC PSYCHOLOGY 275

      15.1 INTRODUCTION 275

      15.2 SCHEMA THEORY 275

      15.3 COGNITIVE BIASES 276

      15.4 SYSTEMS FAILURES 279

      15.5 COGNITIVE DEBIASING 285

      15.6 BIBLIOGRAPHY 288

      CHAPTER 16: DELIVERING VALUE AND RESOLVING CONFLICTS 289

      16.1 INTRODUCTION 289

      16.2 DELIVERING SYSTEMS VALUE 289

      16.3 CONFLICT ANALYSIS AND RESOLUTION 294

      16.4 BIBLIOGRAPHY 299

      CHAPTER 17: MULTI-OBJECTIVE MULTI-AGENT DECISION MAKING 300

      17.1 INTRODUCTION 300

      17.2 UTILITY-BASED REWARDS 300

      17.3 REPRESENTATION OF THE DECISION PROCESS 301

      17.4 KEY TYPES OF DECISION PROCESSES 302

      17.5 EXAMPLE-1 - WOLVES AND SHEEP PREDATION 305

      17.6 EXAMPLE-2 - COOPERATIVE TARGET OBSERVATION 308

      17.7 EXAMPLE-3 - SEAPORT LOGISTICS 310

      17.8 BIBLIOGRAPHY 313

      CHAPTER 18: SYSTEMS ENGINEERING USING CATEGORY THEORY 315

      18.1 INTRODUCTION 315

      18.2 THE PROBLEM OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY, COLLABORATIVE DESIGN 315

      18.3 BRIEF BACKGROUND ON CATEGORY THEORY AND SYSTEMS ENGINEERING 316

      18.4 EXAMPLE - DESIGNING AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE 317

      18.5 CATEGORY THEORY (CT) AS A SYSTEM SPECIFICATION LANGUAGE 322

      18.6 CATEGORICAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATIVE DESIGN (C-MCD) 329

      18.7 THE C-MCD CATEGORIES 331

      18.8 THE CATEGORICAL DESIGN PROCESS 339

      18.9 CONCLUSION 340

      18.10 ACKNOWLEDGMENT 340

      18.11 BIBLIOGRAPHY 340

      CHAPTER 19: HOLISTIC RISK MANAGEMENT USING SOSF METHODOLOGY 342

      19.1 INTRODUCTION 342

      19.2 LIMITATIONS OF CURRENT RISK MANAGEMENT PRACTICES 342

      19.3 FEATURES OF SYSTEMS OF SYSTEMS FAILURES (SOSF) 343

      19.4 EXAMPLE-1 - HOLISTIC RISK MANAGEMENT AND FAILURE CLASSES 347

      19.5 EXAMPLE-2 – SYNTHETIC SOSF RISK MANAGEMENT 354

      19.6 CONCLUSION 358

      19.7 ACKNOWLEDGMENT 358

      19.8 BIBLIOGRAPHY 358

      CHAPTER 20: SYSTEMIC ACCIDENTS AND MISHAPS ANALYSES 360

      20.1 INTRODUCTION TO ACCIDENT CAUSATION MODELS 360

      20.2 BASIC ACCIDENTS AND MISHAPS CONCEPTS 360

      20.3 CLASSIFICATION OF INCIDENT CAUSATION MODELS 361

      20.4 SYSTEMS THEORETIC ACCIDENT MODEL AND PROCESS (STAMP) 362

      20.5 CAUSAL ANALYSIS SYSTEM THEORY (CAST) 365

      20.6 CAST PROCEDURE 366

      20.7 CAST EXAMPLE - CH-53 HELICOPTERS MID-AIR COLLISION 367

      20.8 BIBLIOGRAPHY 374

      APPENDIX-A: DISTINGUISHED SYSTEMS SCIENCE RESEARCHERS 376

      APPENDIX-B: DISTINGUISHED SYSTEMS THINKING RESEARCHERS 378

      APPENDIX-C: PERMISSIONS TO USE THIRD-PARTY COPYRIGHT MATERIAL 380

      APPENDIX-D: LIST OF ACRONYMS 392

      INDEX 398

      Recently viewed products

      © 2026 Book Curl

        • American Express
        • Apple Pay
        • Diners Club
        • Discover
        • Google Pay
        • Maestro
        • Mastercard
        • PayPal
        • Shop Pay
        • Union Pay
        • Visa

        Login

        Forgot your password?

        Don't have an account yet?
        Create account